Dingoes: to Cull or Not to Cull
Dingoes: To Cull or not to Cull?
Recently a 9 year-old boy was attacked and killed by dingoes on Fraser Island. Since the attack the public has been calling for the government to remove some or all of the dingoes from Fraser Island wether by culling or by removal. Whilst the attack on the boy was a tragic accident, the culling of dingoes on Fraser Island is simply a move by the Government to protect the tourism industry on Fraser Island. If the dingoes were removed it would damage Fraser Islands’ World Heritage listing, but more to the point this attack was not the dingoes fault.
The fault of the attack lies solely with the tourists on the Island. Many tourists on the island feed the dingos and over the years the dingoes have become less scared of because we are constantly around feeding them and taking photos. It people swim with shacks it’s their own fault if they get bitten so how is this any different? The increase in tourist numbers on the island has increased the number of houses and development sites on the island which means that humans are coming into contact with the dingoes more often. The destruction of their habitat also means that they are now relying on humans for food such as the scraps we throw out and they can set up home in our backyards, which means that during the colder months any warmth from our houses keeps them close. These animals have only a small amount of contact with humans, usually they are given food. What happens when they are near a group of people and expect food but they are chased away? If they were hungry enough they could attack the humans because they feel threatened and have no other way of finding food. Tourists think that because they are native animals they are cute and cuddly like koalas and wombats that are kept in zoos and taught not to attack humans. This species is unique and needs to be protected.
These animals are part of the reason that Fraser Island has a World Heritage listing. If the dingoes were removed
Recently a 9 year-old boy was attacked and killed by dingoes on Fraser Island. Since the attack the public has been calling for the government to remove some or all of the dingoes from Fraser Island wether by culling or by removal. Whilst the attack on the boy was a tragic accident, the culling of dingoes on Fraser Island is simply a move by the Government to protect the tourism industry on Fraser Island. If the dingoes were removed it would damage Fraser Islands’ World Heritage listing, but more to the point this attack was not the dingoes fault.
The fault of the attack lies solely with the tourists on the Island. Many tourists on the island feed the dingos and over the years the dingoes have become less scared of because we are constantly around feeding them and taking photos. It people swim with shacks it’s their own fault if they get bitten so how is this any different? The increase in tourist numbers on the island has increased the number of houses and development sites on the island which means that humans are coming into contact with the dingoes more often. The destruction of their habitat also means that they are now relying on humans for food such as the scraps we throw out and they can set up home in our backyards, which means that during the colder months any warmth from our houses keeps them close. These animals have only a small amount of contact with humans, usually they are given food. What happens when they are near a group of people and expect food but they are chased away? If they were hungry enough they could attack the humans because they feel threatened and have no other way of finding food. Tourists think that because they are native animals they are cute and cuddly like koalas and wombats that are kept in zoos and taught not to attack humans. This species is unique and needs to be protected.
These animals are part of the reason that Fraser Island has a World Heritage listing. If the dingoes were removed